What is clear aligner treatment?
Clear aligners are a reliable treatment method with a history of about 20 years. They are unnoticeable from the outside — even those closest to you (friends, family) will have difficulty noticing them.
With clear aligners there is no aesthetic concern as with metal or ceramic braces. You can continue your family, work and social life without any worry. They largely eliminate the psychological problems children and young people experience during treatment for crooked teeth.
Orthodontic corrections are made thanks to the aligner layer covering the teeth. Clear aligners are easily removable and insertable treatment devices with a soft structure, and their completely transparent form makes them a highly aesthetic treatment tool.
How are clear aligners prepared?
Our orthodontics specialist takes an impression of the mouth and transfers this information to the computer using 3D scanning. A treatment plan scenario for tooth movement is created on the computer, the treatment route is determined, and the desired dental molds are printed on a 3D printer. Flexible clear aligners are formed on these molds — one aligner for each step of the treatment.
When does treatment start after the impressions?
Considering the time for data entry and mold preparation, the clear aligners are ready about two weeks later — they are then placed in the mouth and treatment begins.
How are clear aligners used?
Clear aligners are seated on the teeth; as long as they are in the mouth, they move the teeth in the desired direction. Usage is simply placing them in the mouth, and removing them for eating, drinking, brushing and flossing. Aligners are worn about 20 hours a day and replaced every 15 days with the next step's aligner.
At the Smile İzmir orthodontics unit, our clinic director Prof. Dr. Tancan Uysal and his team offer patients the most suitable treatment option after clinical examination.
Would you like to book an appointment for Clear Aligner treatment in İzmir?
See the result of your treatment in 3D before it even begins, with Prof. Dr. Tancan Uysal, who has treated more than 1,500 clear aligner patients.
Book an AppointmentTreatment process with clear aligners
- An image of your teeth is taken with computed tomography
- Your teeth's movements are predicted with computer-aided design software
- Your treatment plan is reviewed if necessary
- Molds of your mouth are taken at every stage of treatment
- Clear aligners are produced
- Each aligner is worn for about two weeks
Advantages of clear aligners
Maintaining oral hygiene with braces is quite difficult — cleaning food debris caught on brackets after every meal is laborious. Clear aligners require no special procedure: you simply take them out of their package and put them on your teeth. They fit snugly yet comfortably; you may feel slight pressure in the first days, but after your teeth adjust, the treatment proceeds smoothly.
Traditional braces take 12 to 18 months to work effectively, and broken wires or brackets constantly extend the treatment. With braces many foods are forbidden — hard foods break the brackets. One of the biggest advantages of clear aligners is not having to worry about maintaining a specific diet.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution, and clear aligners follow this concept effectively: every patient receives their own custom aligners, 3D-designed and 3D-produced to fit their teeth and treatment.
The advantages of aligners over braces are numerous: all movements are first determined in 3D simulations, so the chance of unwanted movement is very low. Studies show more predictable results than with braces.
First-time aligner users may experience a slight increase in saliva and temporary lisping during the adjustment period. Compared to fixed brackets, the higher cost can be considered a downside.
With metal brackets, broken or detached wires require clinic visits so the dentist can refit them. Clear aligner users have a more independent treatment, less dependent on the dentist.
Clear aligners can comfortably be used at any age — there is no age limit for Invisalign. Children, teenagers and adults can all use clear aligners; what matters is regular use in cooperation with the doctor.
Before starting Invisalign treatment, a dental examination is required: any needed fillings, tartar cleaning and decay treatment must be completed and oral care must be in place.
